Leeds United travel to face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, 25 October, in a Premier League fixture that offers a chance to solidify their top-half position. The Whites sit seventh in the table with 10 points from seven matches, a record of two wins and four draws from those games, while their hosts are rooted to the bottom with just four points and a goal difference of minus eight. Leeds have scored nine goals and conceded six this season, giving them a positive goal difference of three, but they trail league leaders Manchester City by 11 points.
Regis Le Bris, the Sunderland manager, provided a key update on striker Brian Brobbey ahead of the game. "We decided not to rush the process," Le Bris said. "He is in a good place and has trained with the squad all week, but after a hamstring injury, it is still important to stay cautious.
Brobbey, who has three goals this season, is a major threat for a Sunderland side that has lost four consecutive league games. Their last outing was a 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth. Leeds, meanwhile, are unbeaten in two, having drawn 1-1 with Manchester United last time out on Sunday 18 October, a game where Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored his third goal of the campaign. Calvert-Lewin is the team's top scorer this season with those three goals in seven appearances. That result followed a 2-1 defeat away to Arsenal on Saturday 10 October, where J. Justin scored for Leeds.
Injury concerns affect both squads. For Leeds, Mateo Joseph and Joe Rodon remain out with knee and thigh problems respectively, while Daniel James is a doubt with a back issue. Sunderland will be without Romaine Mundle, Daniel Ballard and Thomas Meunier. Defender Kevin Danso is also a suspension risk.
Leeds' recent form shows one win, two draws and two losses from their last five games, a sequence you can review on our fixtures page. This run includes the draw with Manchester United, the loss to Arsenal, a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace on Sunday 20 September, a 4-1 win over Newcastle on Monday 14 September, and a 6-3 defeat to Chelsea on Wednesday 9 September. Their attack is led by Calvert-Lewin, supported by creator Anton Stach. The team's next assignment after this trip is a home game against Aston Villa on 1 November.
